TURNED ADRIFT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 103, 2 May 1890, Page 4

TURNED ADRIFT.

SIX LUNATICS DISCHARGED.

HARMLESS BUT HOMELESS,

QUARTERED ON THE RATE

PAYERS,

For some considerable time pasb there hae been a good deal of correspondence passing between the Government and public, officers in connection with the Lunatic Asylum here, with reference to a large number of patients who are kept incarcerated in that institution, although harmless, and suffering from no other affliction than that of being aged, homeless, and> failing in mental acuteness. The mosb recent development has taken place to-day, when Dr. Hassel, Superintendent of the Lunatic Asylum, acting, we understand, on instructions from the Government, discharged from the institution six patients, who are said to be perfectly harmless, as they are suffering only from senile decay, andeonsequentlyunfit bo remain incarcerated with dangerous lunatics. A POLITE REQUEST. The contention of the Asylum authorities is that these patients are more proDerly chargeable upon the Old Men's* Refuge, but hitherto the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board have declined to recognise this, and with the cry "no room " they have succeeded in putting off tho evil day—but nob for ever. About a week ago the secretary of the Charitable Aid Board received a letter from Dr. MacGregor, Inspector of Asylums, informing the Board that there were at present forty old people in the Asylum who were more properly chargeable upon the Old Men's Refuge. Dr. MacGregor politely requested that the Board, now that they had such extensive accommodation at the new Costley Homo for aged poor, should adopO these forty Asylum patients, and have them cared for at the cost of the ratepayers. All of our readers are probably aware that the maintenance of tho Asylum ie a charge upon the genoral revenue, while the ratepayers are called upon to provide 'funds for tho maintenance of the "aged poor " who happen to be paupers likewise. Hence the eagerness with which both of these institutions would |throw their responsibility upon tho other's shoulders. QUITE A SURPRISE. As the Charitable Aid Board doea not meet till Monday afternoon next, the letter received from Dr. MacGregor has not yet ■ been before the Committee, and the surprise sprung upon them this afternoon was quite unexpected. The first' heard of its. by Mr Garland, the Secretary to the Board, was from one of our reporters who was making inquiry on the subject, and thought Mr Garland would be able to explain what action the Board had decided upon. But the Board had not even discussed the thing, and Mr. Garland was left to make his preparations for reception or rejection of the six homeless ones, who, he was informed, would be deposited at the door of the Charitable Aid Board punctually at 3 p.m. Mr Garland said that the new Costley Home would not do much more than accommodate tho largo number of inmates of the old refuges, and that the Board could not possibly take over all of those alleged to be harmless patients from the Lunatic Asylum, as they were requested to do by Dr. MacGregor. THE POLICE INFORMED. An official communication waa also received at the Police Station concerning the intended descent of the " harmless six' upon the Charitable Aid Board, and , Sergeant-Major Pratb was thus enabled to make up his mind what course to pursue, calmly and deliberately, in the evenb of these " harmless six" being left/ on the street, as discharged lunatics, who, being homeless and houseless, the Charitable Aid Board might nob agree to receive. To leave these half a dozen harmless, but perfectly helpless and friendless, old people on the streets would never do, for public opinion would not tolerate such a thing, and, failing the Charitable Aid Board's exercise of charity unto thedeserted, (hey threatened to falluponthehandsof the police. When they get far their only prospect would, as a matter of course, be a charge of vagrancy —"no lawful visible means of support," and a lengthy sentence to Mount! Eden Gaol. THE REASON WHY. A Stak representative called upon Mr F. G. Bwington, the Official Visitor, to know the reason why of this extreme step having been adopted, and he kindly related the circumstancee as follows:—For a long time past, old imbeciles have been crowded into tho Asylum, although they are suffering from nothing bub senile decay, and we have found that there is a danger of overcrowding the building. Again and agaia ' have I reported co the Government against overcrowding, and Mr Theo. Cooper, deputy inspector, has done the same thing repeatedly. When we have spoken about the wrong detention in the Asylum of these people the reply ha 3 invariably been, "They have no frie.nds to receive them if they are discharged." They are unable to earn their living, and tho Government did not consent to turn these people out on the streets. I have always contended that this is not a sufficient plea to keep these old people in the Asylum. I have had frequent conversations with the late Mr Justice Gillies about this matter, and Judge Gillies came with me to the Asylum for the purpose of making himself perfectly familiar with the facts. Ho said it waa strictly illegal to keep these people there, and that although the Government have acted from the very teat of intentions there is no'doubt that they have acted illegally in keeping those people there. Now, ib has come to this pass that we are getting the Asylum crowded with these poor creatures who will never be' any better, and who are rendering it less possible for those who are curable to be got well. They have accumulated to such numbers that it has become more expensive to keep them there than in the ordinary refuge, and the Go vermenti have decided we cannot possibly keep them any longer. Wβ require their space in the asylum for patients suffering from mental diseases. The Government have therefore decided that those men who are sufficiently cured shall have their discharge. They will simply be brought into town to-day and placed down at the door of the Charitable Aid' Board. They will be penniless old men, who could nob for the life of them earn a meal, and they must be looked after either by the Board or by the police. ARRIVAL IN HIGH-STREET. Abonb 10 minutes to three this afternoon the six poor oldfellows weredrivenquiefclyup to the door of the Charitable Aid Board offices in High-street in a couple of traps. They seemed quite careless of what happened to them and waited without a word or a sign that they understood anything while the men in charge of them went to consult Mr Garland, Secretary of the Board as to what should be done with them. It was pitiful to see the vacant stare of the poor old men as they shivered with the cold of tho wind that blewj, up the street. Only one gave any signof animation, and he was an old Maori, who nodded and, smiled to everyone .One poor old fellow who come to thtecolony 30 years ago as doctor in charge '&£ 6' ship, seemed quite oblivious to his surroundings, hanging on to the seat and moving His lips automatically.

Mr Garland held a telephonic consultation witn Mr Atkin, Chairman ot the Charitable Aid Board, and the result was that the old men were helped oub of the traps and driven like stray sheep into the Police courtyard, Mr Garland protesting on behalf of the Board against the action of the Asylum authorities. Mr F. G. Ewington was present during a part of the time. The police will house the men to-night, and they will be brought before the Bench in the morning. The members of the Charitable Aid Board are being interviewed by the Secretary on the situation.